The Cutting-Edge World of Cultured Meat: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in Bioprocess Design, a literature review

Introduction

Cultured meat stands at the forefront of revolutionising the food industry. This form of cellular agriculture, poised to transform meat production, hinges on mastering bioprocess design. The complexity here intertwines tissue engineering, scaling production, and refining bioprocesses for optimal outcomes. Understanding these challenges and opportunities is key to realising the full potential of cultured meat.

Public Opinion and Consumer Perception

The acceptance and success of cultured meat heavily depend on public opinion. Research led by Ahmed in 2023 highlights the pivotal role of consumer perception in this emerging field. Phrases like 'clean meat' and 'healthy meat' significantly influence public attitudes. These findings stress the necessity for ongoing research into animal-free culture methods and the advancement of cellular agriculture.We can potentially reshape the entire meat industry but first we must reshape the narrative around cultured meat. This endeavour requires not just scientific innovation but also effective communication and marketing strategies to align public perception with the realities and benefits of cultured meat.

Cryopreservation in Cultured Meat Production

Cryopreservation represents a leap forward in cultured meat technology. The 2023 study by Kakehi and colleagues on cryopreserving bovine muscle cells showcases this progress. This technique is crucial for maintaining the quality and longevity of cell lines, directly impacting the consistency and stability of cultured meat production. It offers a viable solution to one of the significant challenges in the field - ensuring a continuous supply of high-quality cell lines. This advancement is not just a technical triumph but a strategic enabler, ensuring that cultured meat can meet the demands of large-scale production without compromising quality.

Revolutionising Bioprocesses with Cybergenetics

In 2023, Espinel-Ríos and team introduced a groundbreaking approach using metabolic cybergenetics. This method involves a model-based control system to enhance bioprocess inputs, marking a significant step toward more dynamic and efficient cultured meat production. Such innovations in cybergenetics can optimise growth conditions, nutrient supply, and waste removal, greatly enhancing the efficiency and scalability of cultured meat production processes.

Advancements in Cultured Fat Production

A major step forward in improving the taste and texture of cultured meat was made in Liu and colleagues' 2023 research. They innovatively produced cultured fat using stem cells and collagen, enhancing the sensory qualities of cultured meat. This breakthrough demonstrates the potential of biotechnology in recreating the complexity of traditional meat, moving cultured meat closer to its conventional counterpart in taste and texture.

Material Science Meets Cultured Meat

Rao and team's 2023 study on using grape seed extract in gelatin-based hydrogels illustrates the exciting merger of material science and cultured meat production. This research into edible 3D-hydrogels opens new avenues for cultured meat, especially in enhancing texture and nutrient delivery. The inclusion of grape seed extract improves both the physical and biological properties of these hydrogels, leading to more sophisticated and tasty cultured meat products.

The journey of cultured meat from the lab to the table is a complex one, involving various fields of research. From understanding public perception to employing advanced material science, this journey is filled with challenges but also rich with opportunities. The integration of technology, biology, and consumer insights will be crucial in making cultured meat a sustainable, ethical, and appealing alternative to traditional meat. As we navigate these challenges and seize the opportunities, the future of cultured meat looks increasingly promising, poised to make a significant impact on our food systems and environmental sustainability.

Interested to learn more? Read the full papers here:

• Public Perception of Cultured Meat: A study emphasising the importance of public perception for the success of cultured meat. It suggests that labels like ‘clean meat’ or ‘healthy meat’ may promote better acceptance among consumers. Further research on serum-free culture media and cellular agriculture is suggested to transform the meat industry Ahmed, M., Ahmed, N., Arshad, F., & Zakaria, S., 2023. A Review of Cultured Meat and its Current Public Perception. Current Nutrition & Food Science. https://doi.org/10.2174/1573401319666230227115317.
• Cryopreservation of Bovine Myogenic Cells: This study focuses on the feasibility of cryopreservation to maintain cell quality for the storage of bovine myogenic cells. It demonstrates the potential of cryopreserving quality-controlled bovine myogenic cells for cultured meat production Kakehi, R., Yoshida, A., Takahashi, H., & Shimizu, T., 2023. Repeated and long-term cryopreservation of primary bovine myogenic cells to maintain quality in biomimetic cultured meat. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1023057.
• Modelling, Optimization, and Predictive Control in Metabolic Cybergenetics: This research proposes a model-based optimal control problem to find the best process inputs and uses model predictive control for optimising dynamic bioprocesses. This can be applied to cultured meat production Espinel-R'ios, S., Morabito, B., Pohlodek, J., Bettenbrock, K., Klamt, S., & Findeisen, R., 2023. Towards a modeling, optimization and predictive control framework for fed-batch metabolic cybergenetics. ArXiv, abs/2302.02177. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2302.02177.
• Quality Evaluation of Cultured Fat: Investigates the production of cultured fat using adipose-derived stem cells and collagen in vitro. The study highlights the potential application of cultured fat in cultured meat production?
• Liu, P., Song, W., Bassey, A., Tang, C., Li, H., Ding, S., & Zhou, G., 2023. Preparation and Quality Evaluation of Cultured Fat.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08004.
• Grape Seed Extract in Gelatin-Based Edible 3D-Hydrogels: Explores the effects of grape seed extract on the physicochemical and biological functions of an edible gelatin-based hydrogel for cultured meat applications
• Rao, K., Kim, H., Won, S., Choi, S., & Han, S., 2023. Effect of Grape Seed Extract on Gelatin-Based Edible 3D-Hydrogels for Cultured Meat Application. Gels, 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9010065.